The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends but it can also be a time of sorrow for those with nowhere to go.
“I been you know struggling to get back on my feet,” said James Koziol.
“I'm homeless. I sleep in abandoned buildings, doorways and stuff.”
Wanda Beavers, affectionately called Mama Tu-Tu, says she knows what it’s like to go without and this Fourth of July she's making sure no neighbor is hungry or lonely.
The word about the free barbeque drew others to donate to help make it a successful event.
“Well it's important because they need loved ones,” Beavers said.
“You have to feed people and you know getting together feeding people that's all love. You communicate, you talk. You know you just love each other.”
Three decades ago the grandmother spent over a year on the streets before getting back on her feet and buying a house on West Biddle in Jackson.
It’s a home the community calls a place of comfort.
“Mama Tu-Tu constantly celebrates our city,” said Mayor Derek Dobies.
I always see people coming over here. She's always taking care of people, raising money to help pay people's bills. She is a gem and a true community asset.”
Beavers was named Citizen of the Year by the Jackson Citizen Patriot in 2010.
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